


Roses Are Red

by Kurei16



Series: Lovestruck AU [1]
Category: Villainous (Cartoon)
Genre: First Meetings, Fluff, M/M, No Smut, Prostitution, References to Drugs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-28
Updated: 2018-07-28
Packaged: 2019-06-17 17:13:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15466179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kurei16/pseuds/Kurei16
Summary: First meeting, not as perfect as some may think it was.





	Roses Are Red

**Author's Note:**

> Another fic for my Lovestruck AU, a gift for 300+ followers  
> I never wanted to make this ship as obvious as it is in my fics, but well, now I can't do much about it. It's still not canon - don't forget about that!

Ross Tlina was a name he picked for himself back in place he had to run away from - The Laboratory. He never have a real name. He was called Experiment Jeden but he didn't like it. He had a feeling that an actual name makes him more like… him. If it even makes sense.

He hugged himself and brushed his arms. It was a cold night and he wore only a t-shirt and his ripped jeans. After meaningless attempt to warm himself even a little he tried to brush his hair with fingers. His last client liked to pull it back and it was in total shambles now. And hurt a little. He put his white bangs back on left part of his face and hoped it'll stay on place without using any gel. He had to find at least one more client today or he won't make a daily norm, and not everyone liked to see his giant, fake eye.

Ross checked if he look at least presentable and walked to the entrance of the isle he was in, trying to not pay attention to how his body hurted. He started to humm some catchy song he had inside of his head. He stopped immediately after reaching main street and started to observe the crowd.

He was always amazed of how many people could come here during one night. People usually called place he lived in red-light district and from what he understood it wasn’t positive name. But still, through the day there was mass of tourists coming in here and in the night it was crowded as much. He heard something about this place being tourist attraction but never digged more into it.

Ross tried to catch a lonely person in the crowd. Lonely in a way only he could help with. Woman or man, it didn't matter - he just needed a person who will pay him for half hour of forgetting. And he was damn good in making people forget about their problems. About their feelings. Or about their boundaries.

And then he saw him. He wasn't high but looked muscular under the cape he had on him. And he wore a hat, which was something unusual. Ross never saw a person clothed like that. Well, he wasn't sure if he was a person or not, because he saw stranger's skin and it was grey. The man probably wasn't a human and Ross didn't exactly like it because non humanistic clients were the most violent ones. But he needed a client. So he danced around the crowd, people pretending they didn’t see him, and lightly touched stranger's arm.

He moved his head to face Ross and first thing boy saw were his big, round glasses and lack of any nose. Then he noticed white cane and the fact that his cape was too long and laying on the path. Stranger looked confused for a moment but then smiled wide, showing big fangs. Ross gulped and smiled out of reflex, knowing there's no point in it since the man was obviously blind.

“You look lost" said Ross.

“But I'm not, don't worry.” Stranger smiled even wider. “I'm searching for someone.”

“Oh... can't it wait? You look like you need some break.”

Stranger looked like he considered this proposition for a moment. “Well, okay. Short break never hurts.”

Ross chuckled and dragged other back to the isle, where it was not so crowded. 

“I know a good place nearby” he said, leading the man. He just wanted to get over with it and go back to his flat. “Tell me handsome, you like to be top or bottom?”

“Oh I don't care. What do you prefer?”

Ross fell silent for a moment, stopping under the wall. He looked back at stranger, who looked weirdly happy.

“I like what you like.”

“Hmm? That's interesting. But okay.” White cane just vanished from man's hand and he tried to touch Ross’ face, but boy flinched back. Stranger stopped and looked like he just noticed his movement. But it wasn't possible, if he was blind.

“You pay for time, you know?” asked Ross trying to hide his embarrassment. He didn't even know why he was embarrassed, it was just a touch. “I count since now, not since entering room.”

“I can pay however you want" hummed man and took off his glowe. Then slowly reached for Ross’ face and touched it.

Touch like that was so foreign for him it felt weird. He wanted to lean into it with all his body but fought against it. Man touched everything, his nose, lips and eye... then the mechanism he had in return for his other eye. Finally he tangled his hand into boy's hair, brushed his ear and moved hand on Ross’ neck and collarbones. Ross shuddered and only then man came closer, grabbing with other hand his hip. Ross was higher than him but that wasn't a problem for him to pin the boy to the wall anyway.

“Not on the street” murmured Ross but it was half hearted. He was tired and people here never cared anyway.

“You seem sad” stranger said out of sudden, not paying attention to what boy said.

“What? I am not, why?”

“Sad and lonely.”

He leaned for a kiss and Ross moved his head away. Out of sudden he stopped feeling comfortable, he didn't like the way this man was talking to him.

“No kisses?”

“N-no.”

Stranger hummed, snuggled his face under Ross’ chin and licked his skin. Boy decided he don't have time to feel uncomfortable and he put his hands on other's shoulders.

“Pay before…” He tried to say before stranger bit him.

These fangs sinked deep under his skin, into his flesh and Ross yelped, grabbing other's arms hard, trying to yank him back. These teeth felt longer than they looked before and Ross whined. He felt something injecting him and shuddered. Pain faded away in one moment, but that wasn't good. The man could kidnap him, or worse. He could be part of the lab Ross ran away from and came here to take him back.

“S-stop” he whined and stranger listened. He slowly put out his teeth and looked at Ross, smiling lightly.

“Sorry. Didn't want to scare you.”

Ross didn't listen. He grabbed his neck and focused on how he felt after the bite. After few seconds boy felt lightheaded and weirdly relaxed. He was happy and his body became hot out of sudden, like after this white powder some clients were sharing with him.

“What... what did you do to me?” he whined, leaning on wall.

“That's just a small spell. To help you with your feelings. I can feel how lonely you are and how much you crawl affection. You were the one I was searching for.” Stranger brushed Ross’ cheek. “I'll make you feel loved.”

Ross didn't care about how creepy this sounded. What he cared about was that this man thought he needed some silly, stupid love in his life! But even if it sounded hilarious for him, these words stung him in a way which hurt so much. Hurt so much he couldn't hold back a tear.

“Oh sweetheart. Cry this out."

Ross grabbed stranger and hugged him hard, hiding his face in his shoulder. He started to cry so hard he couldn't hold back sounds, hiccups, whines and gasps. He didn't cry since so much years and now he just let it all go at once.

“Wh-what did you... did you do me?!” he cried out, pressing his fingers hard into stranger's back. He felt how other returned the hug, his touch sending shivers through boy’s body.

“It's good for you. Come on, crying is good.”

“I-I don't w-want to c-cry!” Ross pushed the strangeraway and slid slowly on the ground, hiding his face in hands. He felt miserable, like everything what's bad just focused on him and tried to squish trough him on this world. And he was scared, terrified without any reason.

“Hey, it's okay. It will make you feel better.”

“It makes me hurt! Only hurt! I was always hurt and now I can't stop!”

Ross slowly started to hyperventilate and he didn't see how white cane showed up in stranger's hand again. He was panicking, so much emotions he was trying to hide deep inside of him just flew out on the surface. He had no idea what’s happening to him, it was overwhelming.

The man found where he was sitting and sat down next to him. He touched his knee, brushed his hands still hiding his face and slowly grabbed him, pressing their bodies together. And Ross leaned into another hug without thinking much. He just felt so drained out, so small and done, he didn't care. This man's arms were just so warm and cozy he forgot his fear of being found and kidnapped. He only wanted to sleep.

.

After a week spend in Love Hat’s mansion Ross still didn't trust him. When he woke up, in giant, king sized bed, so soft he thought he's lying in clouds (not comfortable at all, it was too soft). Love Hat was there. His round, dark as night glasses turned towards the boy. He immediately smiled and used tiny bell. After no more than minute into the room came a lombie what Ross called it. Later he learned that these people, monsters, smaller demons and many other species were under Love's spell. They were acting madly in love with him, serving him, complimenting him and fighting for him with heroes. Ross wanted to vomit every time he had to come closer than twenty steps to any of them. They seemed just wrong.

Since he came here, Ross was usually left to himself. He tried to run away few times, but always one of them catched him and brought back. But no one ever punished him for that, like they were doing in The Lab. He was treated like he was someone special, important, and he hated it almost as much as he hated these lombies.

When he didn’t plot how can he run away next time, he wondered what exactly master of this mansion, majestic Love Hat was or why was he collecting all those people. He learned quickly that the demon (he decided to call him that because ‘vampire' seemed not enough) indeed is blind or more specifically - don't have any eyes at all. Asked about that Love only shrugged and changed the topic. Every day Ross was learning one more thing about him. He could be clumsy, especially when doing two things at once, like walking and talking without his white cane. Usually he was ending on the wall or floor, sometimes pushed onto them by Ross himself. He was sweet and caring but also could kill with one move of his hand, and since Ross came here he killed three of his lombies. And - probably the most important thing - he seemed emotionally unstable. Ross heard that sentence a few times before, pointed at him, but was sure that he wasn't as unstable as Love. Demon’s servants (which he called lovers, Ross didn't even bother to ask about that) were taught to notice when he's losing himself and close him in something like magic circle. Ross didn't understand that and was took away from changing Love Hat quickly, so he couldn't investigate more. But one thing he knew very well was that the demon looked so much in pain while changing.

For some reason it bothered the boy since he saw it. He still had many questions, but these about demon’s transformation were the loudest. Why did he started to change so suddenly after Ross stated that he hates him? What was he changing into? Was it some kind of real form? After all Ross still didn’t know what Love Hat even really was.

Did it hurt as bad as it looked?

But he didn’t ask these questions. He felt like he shouldn’t ask. Instead he tried to focus on other things, like big garden behind the mansion, left to grow on its own. After a week of taking care of it, it looked way better - flowers started blooming, trees were cutted neatly and grass was softer than when he came here for the first time. Ross was spending all the time he could in this garden. Sometimes tending the flowers, sometimes just sitting on one of the marble benches enjoying silence of nature. Like right now.

He observed a fat bumblebee flying around violet hydrangeas, his mind wandering around without any destination. It was a sunny, warm day and everything looked like taken straight out of a fairy tale. It was so peaceful. Till Ross heard a happy chattering.

The boy looked towards the mansion and saw Love Hat with his entourage. They all were so happy and cheerful it was nauseating so Ross quickly stood up to hide somewhere else. He didn’t manage to make even a step before one of the lombies saw him.

“Ross! Here you are! Wait for us!” This one was a woman. She yelled immediately turning other’s attention towards him and Ross scowled. He stayed in place.

“Oh? Ross is here?” of course Love Hat’s attention was turned toward him as well... They rushed towards the boy. “We didn’t meet each other today, how are you?” cheered Love Hat when they came closer.

Ross only looked at him and three other people around him, a woman, some kind of alien and a man, who Ross recognized as a hero. All smiling stupidly. He didn’t answer, looking away.

“Oh Dalmi, did something happen?” asked the man. Ross winced, Dalmi was a pseudonym some of them started to use toward him because of patches on his skin. He hated it.

“Get lost” growled Ross.

“Ross!” Love Hat stepped closer but when boy flinched away he stopped. He had to notice the movement somehow, or felt his distress, Ross still didn’t know how he worked. The demon sighed and turned toward his lovers. “Leave us, I’ll talk with him. We will finish our conversation later.”

All three looked disappointed but they followed the order immediately. After they walked away Love Hat searched for a bench with his cane and sat down. He smiled softly, presenting his face to the sun, his glasses seemed eating all the light falling on his face.

“You don’t like them so much, huh?” said Love Hat.

“They seem wrong.”

“Oh? What do you mean?”

Ross hugged himself. He thought back to the night when he met Love Hat. It felt awful, being forced to show emotions he didn’t even know he had inside of him. He couldn’t imagine how it had to feel to be forced to love someone.

“It’s just wrong.”

Love Hat hummed and shifted on the bench. “Why won’t you sit with me?” he asked. Ross turned around after few seconds and slowly, cautiously sat down. They sat in silence for a moment.

“Why don’t you change me in one of them?” asked suddenly Ross. Love Hat smiled, facing forward, were fat bumblebee still was checking out flowers.

“Because they seem wrong.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Me neither.” the demon took deep, peaceful breath. “You are just different. Harder to enchant. And it’s easier to break you.”

Ross bit his lip and looked down. He blushed for some reason. They sat in silence again.

“I heard you took care of my garden?” said Love Hat. Ross shrugged and looked around. There was still much work to do, taking care of weeds here and there, cutting some shrubs, filling blank spaces.

“I like doing that. But it still not perfect. Grass isn’t as green as should be and I have not enough flowers to fill whole garden. And I don’t know why roses don’t grow. Maybe they’re in the wrong place?”

“I don’t know much about flowers, I can only enjoy their smell. But if you need something, anything, just tell.”

“Really?!”

“Yes.” Love Hat smiled, feeling excitement emanating from boy. Then his smile faded a little.

He still didn’t know a thing about that boy with specific name, sitting next to him. He could guess he was eighteen and probably went through much. It couldn’t be what made him special though. He wasn’t first kid who went through bad things and was found by Love Hat.

“Ross, where’s your family?” asked demon, softly, knowing the subject could be painful.

“I don’t have one.” Boy shrugged again, still thinking what exactly does he need for the garden. Love Hat tilted his head in his way.

“Where did you grow up then?”

Immediately Ross stiffened and happy atmosphere vanished. He took a shaky breath and shifted on the bench. It made Love Hat concerned. He leaned over hunched human, gently placing hand on his back. After a moment Ross moved a little towards the demon, putting his head under other’s chin. Why? He had no idea. He still didn’t trust him but the soft closeness made him want more. It felt like he could hide in there forever.

“I don’t know.” Love Hat didn’t expect this answer, too calm as for him. “It was some laboratory. People always covered their faces. When they didn’t keep me in white room they were making experiments on me.” Boy hid his left hand, the one with gross tattoo on it, inside his prosthetic.

Love Hat felt he shouldn’t ask, at least not yet. Anger boiled inside of him and he took a few slow breaths to bury it. He couldn’t snap next to Ross, not in the first time the boy opened up to him. White cane vanished from his hand and he hugged human harder.

“You’re safe with me.”

“Mmm…” Ross opened his eye and saw a lombie walking towards them, probably to announce dinner. He closed it again. “Make them go away.”

“Huh? You mean my lovers?”

“Yes.”

Love Hat was silent for a moment. “I’ll be lonely.”

“Not if… not if I’ll stay with you.”

Love Hat smiled softly, snuggling into Ross’ hair. Maybe that was what made this boy special?

**Author's Note:**

> Lovely thanks to @sztefa001 for proofreading! (I'm really glad you do this, even if I feel a little bad for that.)  
> I think I should have write something else, but I don't remember what it was. Hope you guys enjoyed!


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